Clothespin



R. E. BARNECK.

'CLOTHESPIN.

APFLICATION FILED APR.1. 192l- Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

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umrao srares RUSSELL E. BARNECK, OF MINNEAEOLIS, MTNNESOTA.

CLOTI-IESPIN.

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Application filed April 1,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUSSELL E. BARNEOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at liTinneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothespins, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to clothespins, and an object is to provide a device of this character which will firmly hold clothes or similar articles which are hung up for drying. Another object is to provide a device of this character which will hold the clothes without liability of their being soiled or damaged by the suspending means. Another object is to provide a device of this character which will expedite the hanging up and taking down of clothes.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description, and the novel features embodied in my inventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of my improved clothespin with a clothes hanger attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section showing my clothespin with a clothes hanger held thereby. Fig. 3 isa view in vertical section showing my clothespin holding an article of wearing apparel or similar article which is to be suspended. Fig. i is a view showing the manner in which my clothespin is supported by a line or wire.

Referring to the particular construction shown in the drawings, my clothespin includes two jaw members 10 and 12 which are provided with inclined holes near their upper ends through which a ring 14 18 members is provided with a rounded lug 16 adapted to fit into a correspondingly shaped recess in the other member in order that these two jaw members may be opened and closed at their other ends. One of the members is provided at its lower endwith a lug 18 adapted to underlie the lower end of the other member which for this purpose is shortened to an extent substantially equal to the thickness of the lug. The two jaw members when fitted together are frustoconical in shape with the larger end at the bottom and are provided with a ring 20 of such size as to snugly fit the conical Specification of Letters Patent.

above these holes one of the Patented Nov. 15,1921.

1921 Serial No. 4:57.769.

surface when positioned intermediate the ends thereof. The interior fiat surfaces of the jaw members are provided with registermg recesses 22' and 2% adapted to receive the upper wire member 26 of a clothes hanger as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The operation and advantages of my invention will-be obvious from the foregoing description. hen the ring 20 is slid upwardly, the jaws may be opened to permit insertion or removal of the wire 26 of the clothes hanger or to permit removal'or insertion of the edge of an article, such as a piece of clothing. When the ring is allowed to drop, the wire 26 will be firmly held in place, as shown in Fig. 2 or the fabric F will be firmly held in place as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Upon moving the ring 20 upwardly, the jaws are permitted to have a pivotal movement relatively to each other on account of the engagement of the lug 16 of one member in the cooperating recess of the other member coupled with the fact that the jaws are movably held by the ring 1 1. Fig. 4 shows the manner in which any desired number of clothespins may he slidably supported upon a line or wire L which passes through the rings 14 of the respective clothespins. It is obvious that the line L may be stretched between any two fixed supports. and that it is not necessary to remove the pins from the line. By the use of these clothespins, a washing may be readily hung up for drying and may be removed when one or even both of the fixed supports are not readily accessible, as for instance, when the line is stretched across an alley or a garden. All that is necessary is that access be had to one of the supports or to any point intermediate the supports. The clothespins may be bunched at this point, and when the clothes are attached by securing to one pin after another they may be strung out by pulling upon a cord attached to one or both of the end clothespins, this cord extending around a pulley or other device located on the fixed support. When it is desired to remove dried clothes, it is only necessary to stand at the vantage point and pull the clothespins together one after the other. In the use of my device, the clothes do not become soiled by hanging them in contact with the line, since they are held entirely by jaw members. When the clothespins are not in use, the clothescontact with each other, and hence do not become dirty. When it is desired to air coats, waists or other articles of clothing,

clothes-hangers may be readily attached to the clothespins in the manner already described.

I claim: I

l. A Clothespin comprising two jaw members which conjointly are of frusto-conical form, a ring slidably surrounding said members and of such size as to be capable of sliding only part way to the lower end of the conical surface, a lug on the lower end of one of said jaw members adapted to underlie the lower end of the other of said jaw members, and means for connecting said jaw members at their upper ends for pivotal movement when said ring is slid upwardly.

2. A clothespin comprising two jaw members which conjointly are of frusto-conical form, a ring slidably surrounding said members and of such size as to be capable of sliding only part way to the lower end of the conical surface, :1 lug at the upper end of one of said jaw members engaging a recess at the upper end or" the other of said jaw members to permit pivotal movement, a ring passing througa holes in the upper ends of said jaw members, and a lug on the lower end of one of said jaw members adapted to underlie the lower end of the other of said jaw members.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

RUSSELL. n. BARNECK. 

